Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

For many of us, relaxation means zoning out in front of the TV at the
end of a stressful day. But this does little to reduce the damaging
effects of stress. To effectively combat stress, we need to activate the
body’s natural relaxation response. You can do this by practicing
relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, rhythmic
exercise, and yoga. Fitting these activities into your life can help
reduce everyday stress and boost your energy and mood.

The relaxation response: bringing your nervous system back into balance

Stress is necessary for life. You need stress for
creativity, learning, and your very survival. Stress is only harmful
when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of
equilibrium that your nervous system needs to remain in balance.
Unfortunately, overwhelming stress has become an increasingly common
characteristic of contemporary life. When stressors throw your nervous
system out of balance, relaxation techniques can bring it back into a
balanced state by producing the relaxation response, a state of deep calmness that is the polar opposite of the stress response.

When stress overwhelms your nervous system your
body is flooded with chemicals that prepare you for “fight or flight”.
While the stress response can be lifesaving in emergency situations
where you need to act quickly, it wears your body down when constantly
activated by the stresses of everyday life. The relaxation response
puts the brakes on this heightened state of readiness and brings your
body and mind back into a state of equilibrium.

Producing the relaxation response

A variety of different relaxation techniques can help
you bring your nervous system back into balance by producing the
relaxation response. The relaxation response is not lying on the couch
or sleeping but a mentally active process that leaves the body
relaxed, calm, and focused.Read more...